Top 8 Events to Attend During New York Tech Week 2026

New York Tech Week 2026 runs from June 1–7, 2026, bringing together founders, investors, operators, engineers, creators, and startup leaders across the city. The official Tech Week calendar notes that individual companies host events and that attendees should apply or register through each event page.

This curated list highlights eight events worth watching if you are building, funding, scaling, or exploring what is next across AI, ecommerce, consumer technology, voice, and healthtech.

1. Proof of Concept Fest: A Startup-Only Hackathon

Date: June 1, 2026
Time: 7:00 AM–2:00 PM ET
Location: Midtown

Proof of Concept Fest opens the week with a builder-first format. Hosted by GoTogether.ai and Valiron.co, the event is designed for early-stage founders and engineers who want to ship something meaningful during Tech Week.

The event focuses on practical building, with selected teams working toward real commercial validation rather than just prize money. For founders who want momentum before the week gets crowded, this is a strong place to start.

Apply to Build at Proof of Concept Fest

2. UGLY TALK: The Future of Ecommerce

Date: June 2, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM–8:00 PM EST
Location: Nomadworks, Times Square

Ecommerce is changing fast, and this UGLY TALK session brings founders, operators, and creators into one room to talk about where the category is heading next.

The conversation is built around scaling, infrastructure, revenue, and the pressure ecommerce brands face as customer acquisition, conversion, and retention continue to evolve. It is a useful event for founders and brand operators who want a sharper read on what is working now.

Free Admission: Save Your Spot for the Ecommerce Conversation

3. UGLY TALK: Can Your Brand Thrive in Agentic Commerce?

Date: June 3, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM–1:00 PM EST
Location: Adelphi University, New York

Agentic commerce is pushing brands to rethink discovery, data, pricing, loyalty, and customer acquisition. As AI agents begin to search, compare, recommend, and buy on behalf of consumers, the old ecommerce playbook may not be enough.

This session focuses on what brands need to understand before AI-led buying journeys become mainstream. It is especially relevant for DTC founders, ecommerce tech builders, growth leaders, retailers, and anyone working on AI shopping, search, recommendation, or agent infrastructure.

Free Admission: Join the Agentic Commerce Discussion

4. UGLY TALK: The Future of Fashion & Beauty Tech

Date: June 3, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM–8:00 PM EST
Location: Belong NYC, SoHo

Beauty tech is getting louder as AI diagnostics, AR try-ons, personalization, and smart devices reshape how brands compete. This UGLY TALK session looks at how founders can separate real consumer demand from hype.

The event is built for beauty tech founders, consumer operators, brand experts, and investors interested in where fashion and beauty innovation is actually moving. It also features Zehra Soysal, Founder and CEO of Savanah.ai, a visual AI platform helping brands create ecommerce imagery and improve conversion.

Register for free: Reserve Your Seat for Fashion & Beauty Tech

5. UGLY TALK: The Future of Voice AI

Date: June 3, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM–8:00 PM EST
Location: New York

Voice AI is moving from novelty to enterprise use case. This session focuses on where voice interfaces, platforms, and real-world applications are heading as the technology improves.

The conversation is designed for founders, enterprise operators, AI builders, and product teams thinking about how voice can become part of customer experience, workflow automation, and next-generation software interfaces.

Get free admission: Explore the Future of Voice AI

6. From Idea to Live MVP in 6 Hours with GitHub Copilo

Date: June 4, 2026
Time: 9:30 AM–4:30 PM ET
Location: Microsoft Office, Midtown Manhattan

This hands-on hackathon is built for founders, product managers, engineers, and builders who want to turn an idea into a working MVP using GitHub Copilot and agentic AI workflows.

The format includes a Copilot masterclass, team formation, a build sprint, demos, judging, and a $25,000 Azure credit prize from Microsoft for Startups. It is a practical pick for anyone who wants to leave Tech Week with something built, not just notes from a panel.

Build Your MVP with GitHub Copilot

7. Growth and Ecom in the Age of AI Happy Hour

Date: June 4, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM–8:00 PM ET
Location: New York

Growth and Ecom in the Age of AI Happy Hour brings together ecommerce founders, CPG operators, Shopify brand owners, growth leaders, and finance operators for a more focused networking format.

The event centers on what ecommerce brands are doing now to improve conversion, make paid traffic more efficient, use AI tools wisely, protect margins, and grow revenue without adding unnecessary complexity.

Meet Ecommerce Leaders Building with AI

8. UGLY TALK: What Healthtech Founders Break on the Way to Revenue

Date: June 6, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM–3:00 PM EST
Location: Scalpels and Spreadsheets, New York

Healthtech GTM does not behave like a standard SaaS playbook. The buyer is often not the user, regulations shape every channel, and pilots can drag for months before founders know what is actually working.

This UGLY TALK session focuses on the hard parts of moving from product to revenue in healthtech: choosing the right buyer, knowing when to kill a pilot, avoiding stalled procurement cycles, and understanding what a signed LOI is really worth.

Free Admission: Get the Healthtech GTM Reality Check

New York Tech Week 2026 Event Lineup at a Glance

New York Tech Week 2026 offers a dense calendar, but the best events are the ones that help attendees leave with clearer thinking, stronger connections, and a better sense of where markets are moving. This lineup gives founders, operators, investors, and AI builders a focused path through the week without getting lost in the full schedule.